Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127669
IEdited by Scott Rousseau . EVENTS'" .,'. ...... ·'·1 , (Above)Team Virginia Breeze was the overall winner during the WERA Endurance RR at Summit Point, end ing Team Suzuki Endurance's win streak. (Below) Rocket Rex Staten flew to two Pro class wins at the La Playa GP. In the 250cc Pro class, Staten went largely unchallenged in both 20-minute motos . Staten lived up to his nickname by rocketing off the starting line with a huge holesho t and imm ed iately began to establish a lead over Honda-mounted Billy McClintock . The race also combined the 250cc Exper t and Novice divisions, and the rest of the field began to strin g out behind the lead ing d uo. Juan Magan a assumed control of the Exper t class lead, whi le Darin Nis himura d id the same in the Novice class. Th ings went so ur for Magana and Nis h im ura, however, as bo th rid ers tipp ed over in the deep sand and relinquished their leads. Magana managed to hold on to second behind eventual moto winner Schell Chip, bu t Nishimu ra fell even further back when the seat fell off his Kawasaki and he was forced to ride the frame rails. At the finish, Staten nabbed an easy win over McCli n to ck, while Chip mo tored ho me with th e Exp ert clas s win. Jason Bicknell led the Novice class home. Moto two saw Staten again assume the lead fro m th e get-go an d motor away with an easy win. McClintock managed to stay close for the first few laps, but at the finis h Staten was long gone. Mag ana raced back with a venge ance in the Expert class, and -although he took an unschedule d trip over the bars on the last lap, he managed to grab the moto and overall wins. Nishimura rode like the wind after reattaching his sea t between mo to s an d scored a resounding win in the Novice class. Staten returned to the track for the 500cc Pro class race, and the race action wa s little d ifferent. Though 500cc Vet rider Rodney Landry kept Staten on his toes in the early stages of each moto, Staten was all alone when the checkered flag flew . Joey Lane chugged his way to second in the Pro class, whil e Ma tt Berault chased Landry home in the Vet class. a Results 125 EX: 1. Jell Du pont (suz); 2. C hris Mil an (Ho n ); 3. Frank Rizzo (Ho n); 4. Billy Hamill (Yam); 5. Marc Leidc rma n (Kaw). 125 PRO: 1. Rodol fo Sevill a (Suz); 2, Rick Zeigler (Suz); 3. Ricky Fern andez (Kaw ); 4. Kevin Bussey (Hon ); 5. Mike Wa shko (Hon) . 250 NOV : 1. Jason Bick nell (Kaw ); 2. Seymour Betty s (Ya m); 3. Darin N ish imura (K.aw ); 4. Stev e Call ey (Suz); 5. Art H ayash i (Ya m) . 250 EX: 1. J u an Maga na (Ka w ); 2. Schell Chip (Yam); 3. Dean Bober (Ka w ): 4. Steve Salinas (Han); 5. Jerry Brown (H us ). 150 VET : 1. Larry Gross (Yam); 2. Forrest Ha yashi (Suz); 3. R.c. Hampton (Kaw ): 4. Dan Wood (Ya m) ; 5. H umbe rt o Ga rcia (Suz). 250 P RO: 1. Rex Staten (Kew ): 2. Billy McCli nt oc k (Hon); 3. Ricky Fern andez (Kaw) ; 4. Armando Carrasco (Han) ; 5. Sco tt Rousseau (Yam). SOD EX: 1. Bruce Mortenson (Kaw) ; 2. John Parke r (Hon) ; 3. Chance White (Kaw): 4. Aldol!o Benitez (Hon) ; 5. Jaime Agui lar (Kaw) . 500 VET: 1. Rodney Landry (H on); 2. Ma tt Bera u lt (Yam); 3. Dave Galland (Ka w); 4. Vinni e Mazz illi (Ka w) ; 5. Jeff Pillman (suz ). 500 PRO: 1. Rex Sta ten (Ka w); 2. JoeyLane (Kaw) . WERAlSunocolPerformance Machine National Endurance Series:Round 4 La Playa MX GP Series: Round 2 Who else but Staten? By Donn Maeda CANTAMAR, B MEXICO, MAY 22 .C. ound two of the Too Much Fun Promotions-promoted La Playa Grand Prix Series saw number-one plate holder Rex Staten continue his south-ofthe-border domin ance. The race was held at the Can tamar Sand Dunes jus t south of Rosarito Beach, Mexico, and R 38 featured a fast, yet technical cours e that eve n Staten admitted wa s tough. " It takes a lot of upper-body stre ngth, and the avera ge guy will crash at least twice if he ' s never been here before, " sa id Staten. " You have to manhandle the bike and keep your momentum. If you don 't, you' re history. " Mounted aboard a pair of puple and green Rocket Rex Racing /Shoei /Sidi / Sinisalo /Kawasaki of Riverside/ FMF/ Dunlop /Scott/MXA /GP Stabilizersbacked Kawasakis, Staten pranced awa y with easy wins in the 250 and 500cc Pro classes, keeping his perfect La Playa GP record intact. Virginia Breeze ends Suzuki's streak SUMMIT POINT, WV, MAY 21 eading into the Summit Point round of the series, Virginia llreeze Racing had every reason to feel a little confide n t. Af ter all, two of their riders, Glenn Szarek and Jeff Atwell, had tons of local knowledge at a race track that favo rs such wisdom. The team turned consistently fast lap times and cap italized on a rare mistake from multi-time H champions Team Suzu ki Endurance to wi n the fo u r- ho u r event at Summit Point, p utting an end to Team Suzu ki Endurance's win streak that dates back to October 16, 1993. , Aft er fou r hours of racing on the two-mile, lO-turn road cou rse, Yamaha FZ R100-mou nte d Vir gin ia Breeze and Suzuki GSXRllOD-mounted Team Suzuki Endurance were separa ted by only a sca n t 26 se con ds . Virgini a Breeze's Szarek, Atwell an d Paul Yo ungman com bined to av erage 87 mp h in complet ing 348 miles; Summit Poin t firs ttimers Michael Martin and Tray Batey rode for Team Suzuki Endurance. Third place went to Suzuki GSXR75D-mounted Team Pearls Suzuki with Daryl Saylor, Reuben Frankenfield and Fra nk Wilson sharing the riding chores . Team Pearls finished three laps b ehin d the lead du o an d three la ps ahea d of fourth-placed Ohio Superbike Racing which featured Dan Bailey, Dean Ha yes and Lann y Allen on a Yamah a YZF600. Team Pearl s and Ohi o Sup erbike Racing w on th e Heavyweight . SuperStock and Middleweight Superbike classes, respectively. Red Hot Racing's Jeff Wood and Pat Kinne rode their Yamaha YZF750 to fifth place overall. Virginia Breeze Racing used Dunlop tires, Team Suzuki Endu rance was fitted with Michelins and Team Pearls Suzuki was running on Metzelers. Although they were bea ten in West Virgin ia, Team Suzu ki Endurance continues to lead the cha mpionshi p point standi ngs . T he Lake Elsinore, Californ ia-b ased team has amassed 394.89 points in fou r rounds to lead Red Hot Racin g by 101.91 po in ts in the overall ra ti ngs. Team Pearls Su zuki is thir d , only fra ctions behi nd Red Hot Racing wit h 292.04 points. Virgin ia Breeze is four th with 258.2 points with TKO Racing, 19th at Summit Poi nt, fifth with 247.34points. The results at the end of the first hourhad Virginia Breeze in fron t of Team Suzuki Endurance by 43 seconds, with ' bo th teams completi ng 44 laps. Team ' Pearls, meanwhile, was locked in a battle with Cycle Motion Racing; Darr yl Saylor vs. David Deveau. The first hour saw Virginia Breeze in the pits for an extende d stop to change brakes as Szarek ap pare ntly used them up as he circulated at a lap- record pace. Despite having a pro blem with the front end, Mar tin soldiered on. The front end . pr oblem was diagnosed early in the sec-, ond hou r when Martin gave way to Batey. The long pit stop gave Team Suzuki Endurance the lead, and by the end of, the second hour they were ah ead by, some 20 seconds. Batey had his problems in the third ho'ur when he ran offthe track twice in onelap. After getting squeezed off the track by a lapped rider in turn 10, he lost th e front end in turn one, losing some 45 seconds in the process of get: ting slowed down and headed in the, right direction. In the end it came down to Martin vs. Atwell with the latter catching and passing the former - giving Virginia Breeze Racing a long-awaited victory. Martin was gracious in defeat, telling those in attendance that Virginia Breeze deserved to win and that they had a better team than what past results have indicated. 01 Results OVERALL: 1. Virgini a Bree ze Racing (Yam); 2. Team Suz uki Enduran ce (Suz ); 3. Team Pearl s Suzuki (Su z ); 4. Ohio Sup erbike Ra ci ng (Ya m); 5. Red Hot Racing (Yam); 6. Can -Am Racing (Suz); 7. Com pe titive Ed ge Racing (suz); 8. Pure Sports Racing (H on); 9. U gh t Speed II (Hon ); 10. Am o re Racing (Hon); 11. Cycle N uts n' Bolls Racing (Suz); 12. Team Powe r Bar Suzuki (Suz);